The bands and artists that I've decided to check out in '08!

[corianderstem]

I like Nick Drake and all, but once you've heard one of his albums, you've heard all three.

 

[GibsonGirl]

I like Nick Drake and all, but once you've heard one of his albums, you've heard all three.

As much as I love Nick Drake, I'm going to have to agree with you there. But to be fair, he didn't have much of a chance to expand his sound, did he?

Of the three, Pink Moon is definitely my favourite.

 

[LMP]

I'm burning my friend Pink Moon and Five Leaves Left, and the best thing is, they all both fit on one disc.

 

[cobl04]

Re: Re: The bands and artists that I've decided to check out in '08!

Well I just discovered he only has three albums, so funds taken into account, I'll get them all. I'm going to get Pink Moon first though.

Which album do you want to test drive? I can upload. I have all of them.

Umm if it's not too much trouble, could you possibly upload Green? I'm not tooooo keen on it right now, don't ask why, but I'll test drive it.

 

[intedomine]

I still don't own Green and I've been an REM fan for a while now. There is just something unpurchasable about it, even though it obviously has some cracker songs (Orange Crush, Stand, World Leader Pretend). I keep holding off for whatever reason, though I'll probably buy Accelerate as soon as it comes out...

 

[lazarus]

Green is crap. Really. It's an unfortunate example of a major label debut that's pretty shallow. While you have some really beautiful tracks like You Are The Everything and Wold Leader Pretend, and a couple of rockers in Turn You Inside Out and Orange Crush, the rest comes off as very lightweight, even likeable stuff like Pop Song 89. And I shouldn't even have to mention the unfortunate Shiny Happy People precursor Stand.

Arguably the worst album before Bill Berry left.

 

[corianderstem]

I like Green, but it's a little too polished.

Turn You Inside Out is the same somg as Finest Worksong.

But yeah, some great songs: You Are the Everything, World Leader Pretend, and I Remember California, which really grew on me (I disliked it at first).

The Untitled track at the end is really nice, too. Charming little ditty, with the non-Stipe band members switching up instruments ... if I recall correctly, I think Buck is playing drums on that.

Come to think of it, it's been a while since I've watched it, but in the Tourfilm concert video, Bill Berry plays bass on You Are the Everything. Although now I'm not sure what Mills was doing during that song. Buck on mandolin, Berry on bass ... Mills doing ... uh. Interpretive dance? I'll have to watch that soon. I haven't seen it in ages.

 

[Popmartijn]

Green is crap. Really. It's an unfortunate example of a major label debut that's pretty shallow. While you have some really beautiful tracks like You Are The Everything and Wold Leader Pretend, and a couple of rockers in Turn You Inside Out and Orange Crush, the rest comes off as very lightweight, even likeable stuff like Pop Song 89. And I shouldn't even have to mention the unfortunate Shiny Happy People precursor Stand.

Arguably the worst album before Bill Berry left.

You are completely wrong. Green is a very good album. I don't consider it their best, but very good nonetheless. It's certainly better than Out Of Time.
When I listened to this one earlier this even I noticed that the songwriting quality is quite consistent on Green. The rockers, the acoustic tracks and the pop songs, they all complement each other.
BTW, Stand is a gloriously dumb pop song and there's nothing wrong with that.

I think that nowadays Green is overshadowed by its more popular (but weaker, IMO) successor Out Of Time, but it's a great, adventurous record. Give it a chance, you won't be disappointed.

 

[the tourist]

I still don't understand why most U2 fans love REM. I don't. I don't even like them. At all.

 

[last unicorn]

I love REM. I came to the band quite late in my life, though. But I don't regret it. I have all of their albums. Some I like more, some less, some I love. Michael Stipe's voice is magic, I really enjoy listening to their music.

However, there are other bands praised on this forum that I'm not so much into. I say each and everyone their own.

 

[Canadiens1131]

I still don't understand why most U2 fans love REM. I don't. I don't even like them. At all.

I gotta go with you here. I love Life's Rich Pageant, but beyond I Believe, meh, who cares about the rest?

 

[Zoots]

I still don't own Green and I've been an REM fan for a while now. There is just something unpurchasable about it, even though it obviously has some cracker songs (Orange Crush, Stand, World Leader Pretend). I keep holding off for whatever reason, though I'll probably buy Accelerate as soon as it comes out...

I hear ya. I bought Green very late. It's on sale all the time and I still wasn't too excited to get a hold of it because there were so many other albums I wanted to get and Green has some weird shit like Hairshirt and The Wrong Child. There are indeed some great songs too like the ones already mentioned but also some lightweight fluff like Stand. So yeah... I definitely prefer Out Of Time for sure!

I think the U2/REM fan connection comes from how in the early 90s, Automatic and Achtung were the 2 most respected rock albums of the time. Of course they've been contemporaries all along since the early 80s but both experimented in the 90s and shifted towards more personal songwriting and away from more political stuff. There are some similarities.

 

[lazarus]

That's a very good observation, Zoots. I'll add though that sonically they were moving in completely different directions--U2 adopted a very abrasive, European style in the early 90's eschewing their explorations of American rhythm & blues, whereas R.E.M. went all lush, patoral, etc. and was a much more natural progression from their earlier work. Their left turn, from a musical perspective, really didn't come until Monster, which kind of took everyone by surprise. Unfortunately, when they started getting really experimental with Hi-Fi, the listening public wasn't as into it, and the band's record sales began to steadily decline after that point.

 

[corianderstem]

...which is a shame, because Hi-Fi is a stellar album.

 

[LemonMelon]

I don't LOVE everything REM does, and I certainly don't agree that Hi-Fi is a truly great record by any means, but Automatic and Murmur are classics that any and every lover of rock should have in their collection.

 

[MrBrau1]

Re: Re: Re: The bands and artists that I've decided to check out in '08!

Umm if it's not too much trouble, could you possibly upload Green? I'm not tooooo keen on it right now, don't ask why, but I'll test drive it.

You're all set.

 

[cobl04]

The only reason I wanted to check out Green is because 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die told me it was one album that I must hear before I die.

And I listened to Who's Next today peeps, and I have to say, I was BLOWN away. Incredibly good. Very little in the way of filler. I'll post a review kinda thing after a few more spins.

 

[LemonMelon]

The only reason I wanted to check out Green is because 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die told me it was one album that I must hear before I die.

They're wrong. It kind of sucks.

 

[MrBrau1]

The only reason I wanted to check out Green is because 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die told me it was one album that I must hear before I die.

It's a good album.

Ignore the Radiohead felators.

 

[Zoots]

lol

 

[lazarus]

You want to compare Green to other bands, fine, it's a good album.

In R.E.M.'s discography, it's second rate. They all can't be tour de forces. Anyone who tells you otherwise is a sycophant.

The only albums worse than Green are Reveal, Around the Sun, and maybe Reckoning. Maybe.

 

[intedomine]

The only reason I wanted to check out Green is because 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die told me it was one album that I must hear before I die.

Cracking book that...

 

[MrBrau1]

In R.E.M.'s discography, it's second rate. They all can't be tour de forces. Anyone who tells you otherwise is a sycophant.

No doubt.

But for someone looking to get into REM, it's a good start. It's how I started in 10th grade.

"It blows" is just a terrible answer.

Offer up another record.

Don't just name it, offer to share it. This board has so much potential, and it squanders it on a daily basis.

If left to it's own devices, this thread ends with "Green is shit".

peter, bjorn & fucking john

brilliant.

 

[LemonMelon]

But for someone looking to get into REM, it's a good start.

No, it's not. A good record would be a good start.

A good start would be a record that shows much of what REM has to offer and is simultaneously of high quality.

Life's Rich Pageant anyone?

 

[MrBrau1]

No, it's not. A good record would be a good start.

A good start would be a record that shows much of what REM has to offer and is simultaneously of high quality.

Life's Rich Pageant anyone?

you be wrong. As usual.

and you should send "LRP" if it's so "obvious."

 

[LemonMelon]

you be wrong. As usual.

and you should send "LRP" if it's so "obvious."

Well, maybe I will.

 

[MrBrau1]

Well, maybe I will.

do it.

Why would anyone crap all over the REM album someone wants to start with?

odds are you're gonna drive them away from rem, and they'll never listen to any of their records.

wonderful.

Green is a starting point.

 

[LemonMelon]

do it.

Done. MP3 blogs are indeed God's gift to mankind.

 

[MrBrau1]

Done. MP3 blogs are indeed God's gift to mankind.

truer words have never been spoken.

Hey, COBL_04

go here,

http://totallyfuzzy.blogspot.com/

and find everything. ever.

 

[cobl04]

Man I am so glad I bought Who's Next. I bought the deluxe by mistake, and I thought I'd let the rest play, and even they're all fucking brilliant! Can't believe it.

Thanks Brau and LM